So my cat is only a year and a half old, and he got crystals. He has been on just the wet Urinary S0 for about a month and a half now. The food is just way out of budget for me (student, work only 4 months a year) , however so is going back to the vet if there is a recurrence. I see that there is Urinary S0 dry, however I'm curious if I keep feeding him the Urinary S0 wet (say 1/2 can for breakfast) can I feed him another dry food rather that the specialty one? I have no preference on brand, this is my first cat and really I know nothing about what brands are good unless we're talking dogs. Any help would be appreciated!
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Urinary S0 combined with another brand of dry food??
- Thread starter slynn11
- Start Date
Actually, it would be better to feed him cheaper canned food. What you need to look for are canned foods that are high protein, low carb. I don't know where you're located, but canned foods that fit the bill that don't break the bank in the U.S. are Friskie's PATE style foods and Fancy Feast. The dry food robs his body of moisture, and a key component of avoiding crystals is constantly flushing them from the system (via hydration and urination) before they get to large to cause problems. Struvite crystals from in an alkaline urine pH, which is caused by carbs in food (unless a urine acidifier is used).
The prescription foods also target a lower magnesium level than other foods, but this is actually old thinking, and more recent studies have indicated magnesium doesn't seem to have a meaningful role in the production of struvite crystals.
For more info, this is a great site: http://www.catinfo.org
This is Dr. Pierson's section specifically on urinary issues: http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth
And this section on commercial cat foods has a link to a list of foods where she provides the analysis of protein, fat, and carbs (the center column is on a dry matter basis: look for anything less that 10% carbohydrates - but feed fish flavors infrequently). http://www.catinfo.org/?link=cannedfoods
The prescription foods also target a lower magnesium level than other foods, but this is actually old thinking, and more recent studies have indicated magnesium doesn't seem to have a meaningful role in the production of struvite crystals.
For more info, this is a great site: http://www.catinfo.org
This is Dr. Pierson's section specifically on urinary issues: http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth
And this section on commercial cat foods has a link to a list of foods where she provides the analysis of protein, fat, and carbs (the center column is on a dry matter basis: look for anything less that 10% carbohydrates - but feed fish flavors infrequently). http://www.catinfo.org/?link=cannedfoods
Sorry your cat is having UTI problems. Ritz had her first UTI when she was around two.
Dry food is really really bad for cats with UTI issues. The more moisture/water you can get into a cat, the better: the crystals have a better chance of being flushed out in the urine.
I looked at the ingredients for the wet version of Urinary SO (is it by Royal Canin) and maybe I'm missing something, but I didn't see any L-methionine, which is the active ingredient in most urinary-oriented foods. L-methionine is a natural acidifier.
I would opt for 100% wet food. Fancy Feast Classic and Friskies Pate have decent ingredients and are relatively inexpensive. Avoid fish! You could try mixing some water in the food to increase his intake of water.
Finally--and perhaps most important: was an analysis of the crystals done, and if so, what were the results? I'm assuming the vet found sturvite crystals, which can be treated by diet. But oxalate crystals can't. Or maybe it was bacteria? Or did the vet just guess based on symptoms.
Ritz is prone to stress-induced UTIs. I feed raw; meat is a natural acidifier. Her last UTI was bacteria based. To deal with the stress, I also have Feliway plug ins and supplement her food with L-Theanine. This is something you might want to consider, too.
Good luck!
Dry food is really really bad for cats with UTI issues. The more moisture/water you can get into a cat, the better: the crystals have a better chance of being flushed out in the urine.
I looked at the ingredients for the wet version of Urinary SO (is it by Royal Canin) and maybe I'm missing something, but I didn't see any L-methionine, which is the active ingredient in most urinary-oriented foods. L-methionine is a natural acidifier.
I would opt for 100% wet food. Fancy Feast Classic and Friskies Pate have decent ingredients and are relatively inexpensive. Avoid fish! You could try mixing some water in the food to increase his intake of water.
Finally--and perhaps most important: was an analysis of the crystals done, and if so, what were the results? I'm assuming the vet found sturvite crystals, which can be treated by diet. But oxalate crystals can't. Or maybe it was bacteria? Or did the vet just guess based on symptoms.
Ritz is prone to stress-induced UTIs. I feed raw; meat is a natural acidifier. Her last UTI was bacteria based. To deal with the stress, I also have Feliway plug ins and supplement her food with L-Theanine. This is something you might want to consider, too.
Good luck!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
Hi,
@LDG we are from Canada actually!
Dry food is out! Thank you. I will look for a good wet food. I will continue feeding him some prescription food plus some regular wet food. I already mix his food with lots of water and he eats it all no problem!
@Ritz unfortunately when I took him to the emergency clinic I opted out from evaluating his urine. It was 100$ and either way he would be on special food. The blockage was removed and he was sent home with medication. I definitely don't think it was stress. The vet thinks it was the food I was feeding, also I only fed him dry food because being a non cat person I had no idea that I was supposed to feed him wet food too.
Thank you for the info guys!
@LDG we are from Canada actually!
Dry food is out! Thank you. I will look for a good wet food. I will continue feeding him some prescription food plus some regular wet food. I already mix his food with lots of water and he eats it all no problem!
@Ritz unfortunately when I took him to the emergency clinic I opted out from evaluating his urine. It was 100$ and either way he would be on special food. The blockage was removed and he was sent home with medication. I definitely don't think it was stress. The vet thinks it was the food I was feeding, also I only fed him dry food because being a non cat person I had no idea that I was supposed to feed him wet food too.
Thank you for the info guys!
I feed my cat who has struvite crystals Royal Canin Urinary SO. I tried feeding him an all high quality wet food diet, but his urine pH was around 7-8 (too high!). I fed him exclusively Royal Canin Urinary SO, and his urine pH went back down to 6. So I'm sticking with the prescription. I am feeding him high quality canned food in the morning, and then the prescription at night though. I want some good food in him too!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #6
Thanks @molldee That's really helpful! I think that's what my plan is! I am definitely too scared to completely stop feeding him the prescription food, but it is so incredibly expensive. I am also looking into if it is cheaper in the US as I have family near the border, but it would have to be a pretty good deal to be worth it!
Long story, but I have a FLUTD Kitty who got blocked and had to have a catheter, etc...
Rather than going with Prescription Dry, I read through Dr Pierson's site (that Laurie reccomended)
and decided to feed him exclusively low carb canned food with warm water mixed in.
I use all 4 of the EVO 95% varieties, but mainly the Chicken and Turkey.
I occasionally add in some Merrick's 96% Beef, Lamb and Buffalo DOG* food for some variety,
* now that they quit making Before Grain for cats.
He has been doing great and I feel much better than I would feeding him the terrible ingredients in Prescription Dry.
OH, just to be safe, I also give him about 1/4 inch of GNC Urinary Gel (Petsmart) per day,
as well as 1/2 inch of "DVM Feline Joint Gel" from Amazon,
as it supposedly helps kitties with Urinary Tract Issues.
For both of these, if Kitty doesn't like to lick it off your finger,
just mix it in with the canned food.
Rather than going with Prescription Dry, I read through Dr Pierson's site (that Laurie reccomended)
and decided to feed him exclusively low carb canned food with warm water mixed in.
I use all 4 of the EVO 95% varieties, but mainly the Chicken and Turkey.
I occasionally add in some Merrick's 96% Beef, Lamb and Buffalo DOG* food for some variety,
* now that they quit making Before Grain for cats.
He has been doing great and I feel much better than I would feeding him the terrible ingredients in Prescription Dry.
OH, just to be safe, I also give him about 1/4 inch of GNC Urinary Gel (Petsmart) per day,
as well as 1/2 inch of "DVM Feline Joint Gel" from Amazon,
as it supposedly helps kitties with Urinary Tract Issues.
For both of these, if Kitty doesn't like to lick it off your finger,
just mix it in with the canned food.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #8
Great info! thank you @SevenWonders. That's really helpful! I also heard that grain free wet food is good too? Anyone know anything about this?
You are very welcome.
The Evo and Merrick are both grain free as well.
The Evo and Merrick are both grain free as well.
I think the ones that SevenWonders mentioned ARE grain free wet food.
If you do try the Merrick canned food for dogs, make sure it is really for both dogs and cats and has taurine added. ( or else keep that food to about 10% of the diet) .
I have to add I had the same experience as SevenWonders, I had a cat who had crystals , episodes of cystitis and a blockage but never had more urinary problems when I switched him to all wet food -- low carb, high protein -- and I also added a bit of warm water to the food. and I got urinalyses done twice a year for the rest of his life. So in our case, that really helped him a lot.
Good points!
The Merrick Beef, Lamb, and Buffalo is for dogs, but it does not have any ingredients that are bad for cats. It doesn't have taurine, but I mix it half & half with Evo, and I only feed one can (of 27 cans total) per week, so it is a tiny percentage of their total diet.
